Please help ID

wilson717

wilson717

Member
:notsure:
Please help me id what this brown matter on my lr and live sand is. It has tiny bubbles that come up from it. It is a rust color. It does not blow off it has to be scrubbed off. It only appears in the area that is hit by the halide light. My tank is two weeks old
Is it good or bad?
 
olsenjb

olsenjb

Member
Can't really tell from the picture, but it sounds like cyanobacteria to me. Not necessarily good, but pretty normal for a new/young cycling tank. Give your tank time to cycle, and I bet it will clear up on its own.
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
Originally Posted by olsenjb
Can't really tell from the picture, but it sounds like cyanobacteria to me. Not necessarily good, but pretty normal for a new/young cycling tank. Give your tank time to cycle, and I bet it will clear up on its own.

Cyano is not normal for a new tank.
Diatoms are, and they will clear up on their own, or when you add a clean up crew.
Cyano can be a rust color, but it is slimy.
 
olsenjb

olsenjb

Member
Cyano is not normal for a new tank.
Sorry...But, I've got to disagree. Not only based on my own experience, but you can do a google search or search any number of message boards for the typical algae outbreaks one can expect when cycling a tank, and cyano is certainly one of them along with diatoms and others.
Cyano will typically appear on your sand bed, be red/rust colored and slimy. However, because it is slimy, it can trap bubbles in it and can look rather stringy/hairy.
Have you actually touched it? It may not look too slimy, but reach in and touch it and find out for sure.
Here are a few links to posts here on Saltwaterfish.com reiterating what I'm saying...simply search for "cycling cyano":
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/173532/help-sand-is-brown-rust-color
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/79593/sand-turning-red
 
lazarus

lazarus

Member
i got the same problem in my tank....its been up about a month. i read about adding more flow...but i also read that powerheads are to be pointed up for surface agitation. are you-all recommending a powerhead be added and pointed directly down at the sand to prevent the cyano? pls clarify....i prefer "going natural" to chemicals and i know more flow is always a good thing....but i hate having more hardware in my tank!
 
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